The Twelve Beers of Christmas. Part 1

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, SOOO MUUUCH BEEEER!! Thank you so much to all the lovely people over at Best of British Beer for quite possibly the best early Christmas present ever! The Twelve Beers of Christmas comes exquisitely packaged in a festive looking tree complete with a star on top and everything! And it's not just the outside that's great, inside are twelve beers from some of Britain's best producers including Wiper and True, The Celt Experience, Freedom Brewery and Crafty Dan to name a few.

Now seeing as this is such a large amount of beer to write about in one post, I've decided to split it up into two offerings. Also drinking 12 beers and then writing about them could have some disastrous, if not hilarious consequences. As it is, six is becoming somewhat fuzzy. Seriously you should see my dance moves right now. On with the show! And bring me a kebab!

Today I'm focusing on days one through six.

On the first day of Christmas my barman gave to me:
Freedom Brewery Pioneer Lager.

A bright refreshing lager with a nose of orange juice, grapefruit and woody notes. On the palate the citrus flavours continue with mouth watering juiciness, fresh cedar and a long, drying bitterness.

On the second day of Christmas my barman gave to me:
Windsor Knot Ale.

Originally brewed as a celebration of Wills and Kate's nuptials, this beer has a powerful aroma of fresh tropical fruit and a palate to match. There's smooth malt characters, juicy fruit and a subtle peppery finish.

On the third day of Christmas my barman gave to me:
Montys Midnight Stout.

Very rich and very dark and almost opaque. The nose has wafts of sourdough, chocolate and dark fruit. The palate is very smoky and very dense but with a much lighter body than you would usual associate with a stout.

On the fourth day of Christmas my barman gave to me:Crafty Dan, 13 Guns American IPA.

A tribute to the original 13 states of America, the nose is of toffee, caramel a blend of stone and tropical fruits. On the palate it's a much more restrained take on an American IPA. It has a much more malty character but still with some very interesting Tropical fruit.

On the second day of Christmas my barman gave to me:
FIIIVE GOOOLD..wait no...Ticketybrew Blonde.

A very refreshing and powerful blonde with some rich malt flavours. I reviewed it last week so read more about it here!

On the sixth day of Christmas my barman gave to me:
Battersea Rye Beer

A most unusual brew, this has powerful smoky bacon notes that you might associate with a fine white Burgundy, zingy citrus and a nice herbaceous character. The palate has a weighty feel with bright tropical fruit, citrus peel and a long, satisfyingly dry finish.

And on the evening of the sixth day of Christmas my barman gave to me, a cab ride home!